Paper folding machine



Sept. 9 1969 FIG. 1

J. H. KWIK, JR

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 7, 19s? ii FIG. 2

- DRIVE MEANS INVENT OR. JOHN H. KWIK .JR.

United States Patent Oflice 3,466,027 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 3,466,027PAPER FOLDING MACHINE John H. Kwik, Jr., Red Bank, N.J., assignor t theUnited States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyFiled Sept. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 666,567 Int. Cl. B65h 45/20 US. Cl. 270-794 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The paper folding and creasingmachine of the present disclosure includes essentially a combination offour fixed and four shiftable rollers that operate in timed, sequentialarrangement whereby in any one operational direction six of the rollersare active to fold and crease the paper as desired. The machine furtherincludes pivotable links between several of said rollers to effectmovement and displacement of the shiftable rollers.

The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensedby or for the Government for governmental purposes without the paymentto me of any royalty thereon.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to a machinefor the folding and creasing of paper. Specifically the machine isdevised for fan-folding paper and to incorporate a fixed crease thereinwhereby the paper so formed can be readily stacked and/or stored.

The invention herein has particular application in the fan-folding andcreasing of paper fed from a roller upon which such paper has beenplaced after certain informationaldata has been printed on the paper.When in such condition, the roll must be unrolled to secure specificinformation on a particular portion of the paper. Obviously such meansis cumbersome and time consuming. On the other hand, specific positionsor locations of paper fan-folded can be readily ascertained.

Summary of the invention The present invention contemplates a machinefor creasing and fan-folding paper that is fed from a reel, or similardevice, into the machine. The machine is one that is readily adaptableto fan-fold paper of widths up to 16 inches; is one that is simple instructure and sturdy in construction.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be fully apparentfrom the following description when taken in connection with the annexeddrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic View showing the arrangement of the severalrollers at its initial and intermediate stages of operation;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the rollers duringtheir shifted position, and when creasing and folding of the paper isbeing accomplished; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the rollers, and the link arrangement betweenthe several rollers to effect their shifting.

Description of the preferred embodiment For convenience in thedescription of the system and arrangement of rollers, and for a betterunderstanding of their operation, a line XX has been drawn to indicatean axis of symmetry so that an array of rollers on one side of the lineis a mirror image of the other. The entire system of rollers iscontained in a framework which may also include the varied mechanicaland electrical timing mechanisms that serve to sequentially drive oractuate the rollers as hereinafter described. Such mechanisms areconventional and known to those skilled in the art are omitted from thedrawings, other than by a box representation.

All of the rollers of the system are axially and longitudinally mountedand extend to substantially the full length of the framework and arejournalled in the conventional manner. The rollers are so aligned thattheir elongated axes are parallel to each other at all times.

The location of the several rollers of the system will be described byreference to FIG. 1 which portrays the rollers in their inoperativeposition, and also at their intermediate arrangement, i.e., theirposition between the opposing creasing and fan-folding stages.

Referring to FIG. 1 there are shown rollers A and B which are positionedclose to the top portion of the frame work and may be designated as: thelead rollers, that is they serve as a means for introducing or leadingthe paper from the roll into the system of rollers. As seen in FIG. 1,roller A is located to the left of the center line XX, while roller B isto the right of the line X-X. The rollers A and B whose axes are infixed parallel arrangement are in abutment and in frictional engagementand made of a slightly resilient material such as rubber so as to permita thickness of one sheet of paper to be passed between the rollers whensaid rollers are rotating. Slightly below roller A and to the leftthereof is roller C, and similarly to the right and slightly belowroller B is a roller D. In their location as shown in FIG. 1, it isapparent that rollers C and D are so aligned that a line between theirlongitudinal axes would be perpendicular to the line XX. All of therollers A, B, C, and D are of the same diameter. Located below therollers A and C and to the left of the line XX, and to the right ofroller C, are abutting rollers E and F with roller E slightly below andto the left of roller F. Similarly below rollers B and D and to theright of the line XX, and to the left of roller D, are abutting rollersG and H with roller H slightly below and to the right of roller G.

Of all eight rollers heretofore described, only one, i.e., roller A is adriving roller while the remainder of the rollers B-H are driven byfrictional engagement as hereinafter described. The lead rollers A and Bas well as rollers E and H are fixed, that is, secured within theframework in their locations as shown in FIG. 1. In contradistinctionthereto, the rollers C, D, F and G are capable of being arcuatelyshifted from their locations such as shown in FIG. 1 to differentlocations such as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2 it can be seen that rollerF has been shifted to the right into frictional engagement with roller Gand roller D has been shifted to the left into frictional engagementwith fixed rollers B and H and intermediate said rollers. By thisarrangement it can be seen that rollers A, B, D, H, G and F are infrictional and driven engagement to perform what may be termed the rightside crease and fold of the paper. Though not shown in the drawingsrollers C, F and G can be similarly shifted so as to bring intofrictional and driven engagement the rollers A, B, C, E, F and G toperform a left side crease and fold.

The means for effecting the movement and shifting of the rollers C, D, Fand G to the locations indicated above is shown in FIG. 3. Such meansinclude a series of pivotal links or arms 13, 15, 17, 19, 27 and 29arranged in the following manner. Link. 13 has one end terminate atroller C, and pivots at point 21. Links 15 and 17 have one of their endsterminate respectively at rollers F and G and their other ends terminateat common pivot point 23. Link 19 has one end terminate at roller D andpivots at point 25. Also included in the link arrangement shown are arm27 that links arms 13 and 17, and arm 29 that links arms 19 and 15. FIG.3 shows the complete linkage system which engages one end of the rollersidentified. Another identical linkage system is provided for the otherends of the same rollers. Shown affixed to the upper ends of link 15 andlink 17 are respective bars 31, 33 which extend the full length as therollers. The bars terminate in a taper edge as shown. The paper to becreased and fan-folded is shown at 35 and unreels from a reel 37.

In the operation of the device, a fan-fold of the paper 35 will bedescribed in relation to the view shown in FIG. 2, i.e., a right sidefold. The paper is initially drawn through rollers A and B for apredetermined distance, and momentarily thereafter the drive means 39initiates movement of the arms 19 and 15 to the positions shown in FIG.2. At the same time movement of the roller F, and the bar 31 will engagethe paper 35 to divert its downward movement to force it between rollersB and D to effect a bend or fold in the paper. This will continue untilthe dual edge of the paper is slightly beyond the abutting surfaces ofthe rollers B and D to form a more permanent crease or fold in thepaper. At that stage the driving mechanisms are actuated to return therollers to their initial position as shown in FIG. 1. This will allowthe folded paper to fall between the rollers to an appropriatecontainer. The timing sequence is so arranged that at the time a lengthof paper is folded and falling downwardly, a fresh length of paper fromthe roll 37 has been drawn into the roller system ready to be folded,however, at this stage a left side fold is accomplished. The process isthen repetitive.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for creasing and fan-folding paper fed J from a reelcomprising a framework,

a series of eight rotatable rollers (AH) arranged about a plane ofsymmetry which includes first (A) and second (B) rollers in frictionalengagement arranged respectively on either side of said plane andadjacent to the top of said framework adapted to draw the paperdownwardly;

third (C) and fourth (D) rollers spaced from and below the respectivefirst and second rollers and symmetrically arranged relative to saidplane;

fifth (E) and seventh (F) rollers normally in abutment with each otherspaced from and below said first and third rollers on one side of theplane of symmetry;

sixth (G) and eighth (H) rollers being a mirror image of said fifth andseventh rollers; means for alternately shifting the fourth (D) rollerinto frictional engagement with said second (B) and eighth (H) rollersand intermediate therewith and for shifting said seventh (F) roller intofrictional engagement with said sixth (G) roller;

and for shifting said third (C) roller into frictional engagement withsaid first (A) and fifth (E) rollers and intermediate therewith and forshifting said sixth (G) roller into frictional engagement with saidseventh (F) roller;

means associated with at least one of said rollers for diverting saidpaper in its downward travel into pressing engagement between eithersaid second (B) and fourth (D) rollers, or between said first (A) andthird (C) rollers to effect a crease and fold in said paper.

2. A machine of the kind set forth in claim 1 wherein the means forshifting the several rollers consists of a plurality of pivotable arms,each of said arms having one of their ends in operable engagement with arespective roller and a link connecting the arm associated with saidthird roller to the arm associated with said sixth roller for mutualshifting of said third and sixth rollers, and a link connecting the armassociated with said fourth roller to the arm associated with saidseventh roller for mutual shifting of said fourth and seventh rollers,and means for driving all of said arms.

3. A machine of the kind set forth in claim 2 wherein the armsassociated with said sixth and seventh rollers have a common pivotpoint.

4. A machine of the kind set forth in claim 2 wherein the means fordiverting said paper in its downward travel comprises an elongated baroperatively associated with at least one of said rollers and iscoextensive with said roller.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 270-068

